Tenn. sheriffs: Funds are badly needed

By Matt LakinThe Knoxville News-Sentinel

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — When the budget cuts slashed too deep, Jefferson County Sheriff David Davenport took the county to court.

Davenport, the president of the Tennessee Sheriffs' Association, settled his lawsuit against the Jefferson County Commission and the county mayor last month for an extra $182,000 and attorneys' fees. But he says he worries that more such battles could lay ahead for his department and others around the state.